Scent is such a personal thing, especially for the extra finicky (that includes us). We’re not fans of the cloyingly sweet gift shop variety of scented candles, so we put together a roundup of our favorite fragrances that might appeal to similarly persnickety, hard-to-please gift recipients:
Above: Fan is entranced by the scent of Goodee’s Field Candle ($75).”It’s described as having an ‘essential oil blend of Siberian cypress, moss, and cyclamen’; what I smell is an invigorating sun-baked grassiness,” she says. (As a bonus, the reusable vessel is handblown in Venice in the ancient tradition of Murano glass using leftover glass from local factories.) Above: Alexa discovered the allure of the ancient smell of Italy’s best known fragrance a while back on a trip to Paris. “For me, it all began with Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, a Florentine pharmacy founded in 1221 by Dominican friars who have been serving up batches of their potpourri since its inception.” (See her recipe for making your own potpourri at Modern Potpourri: The Irresistible Fragrance of a Rotten Pot on Gardenista.) Prices start at $35 for a 100 gram bag from Santa Maria Novella. Above: The Pagostas Utility Candle by cult line Perfumer H (£70) is from Christine’s favorite London shop, Mouki Mou, Owner Maria Lemos grew up going to the Greek island of Patmos, and the candle’s fragrance reminds her of her visits. Made from a mineral hand vegetable wax with notes of Lentisque Abs, Myrtle, Elemi, Galbanum, Eucalyptus , Cedar Wood, and Frankincense.
Above: For the Italophiles among us: LA-based Flamingo Estate’s Roma Heirloom Tomato Candle ($50) is meant to evoke “memories of late summer dinner parties in Sicilian gardens.” Above: Margot recently stayed at the Hotel de Sud in the south of France, and was entranced by the aromatic environs. She advises: “Recreate the experience with the Riviera Candle ($64) from Sud Aroma of the Cote D’Azur, which features notes of citrus, thyme, and lavender with a white flower accord, rosemary, and cumin.” Above: Nell reports: “My all time favorite is the Solis Rex candle ($125) by Cire Trudon. It is supposed to smell like the parquetry of the palace of Versailles’s hall of mirrors. Very complex and smoky and the nicest room fragrance I’ve ever sniffed. My best friend and I have established a noble tradition of gifting one to each other for Christmas.” Above: A suggestion from Margot’s friend Livia Cetti of the Green Vase: Opera Incense ($60 from Patch NY), by Astier de Villatte; “It’s my favorite souvenir of Paris,” she says. The incense is handmade in Japan by master craftspeople following traditional techniques on the island of Awaji and is meant to evoke “the splendor of the Palais Garnier in Paris, with its sumptuous parquet floors polished with beeswax.” Above: Gardenista writer Clare Coulson reports on her favorite candle. “It’s the Arborealist ($80) from Verden, whose name is taken from the Danish for ‘the earth.’ The brand’s all-natural candles fill a room with an aromatic nature fix, without being heady or cloying. The candle is woody and smoky—and has a clean, green scent like an immersion into a dense forest on a damp autumn day. It somehow manages to be calming and uplifting at the same time.” Above: Julie is a fan of Diptych’s new line of household essentials, especially the Le Drogerie candle ($72), which features a green and aromatic combination of basil, mint and tomato leaf. Above: The Tomato Candle from Carriere Freres ($65) delivers a pure, tomato-vine-like aroma, acting as a natural air purifier. Above: Both Fan and Francesca have made pilgrimages to Los Poblanos in New Mexico and came away with a love for the farm-grown lavender; bring home the scent with the Los Poblanos Vela de la Alhucema candle ($60), made with natural soy wax and pure essential oil from organic Grosso Lavender, grown and distilled on the Los Poblanos farm. Above: Julie and Francesca’s favorite scented candle is from Cire Trudon ($125); it’s the Abd El Kader (featuring notes of “fresh mint, ginger, tea, and tobacco).
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